Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

Archives for April 2016

5 New Things for Int’l Anti-Street Harassment Week

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We’re so excited to Meet You On the Street in just four days! These are the latest updates. But first, if you haven’t already, please let us know what you’re doing!

NEW INFORMATION:

  1. Press Release
    Here is the press release for the week. You can also download the 2016 press release template for your local events.

  2. International Wheat Pasting Night
    Stop Telling Women to Smile is hosting their annual international wheat pasting night on April 15, 2016. Details. Make a suggested donation (of any amount) to the artist.

    WPNight_2_1000

  3. Twitter
    In addition to the global tweeathon on April 12 (use #EndSH, all day, all languages), we now have three tweet chats scheduled on April 11, 13, and 14. If you’re planning your own chat, PLEASE let us know so we can help advertise it and participate in it.
  4. Join tweetathon april 12Book Giveaways
    Anyone with a USA mailing address can also enter to win one of 10 copies of Jessica Valenti’s forthcoming memoir Sex Object. Drawings will be held on April 12 – 16.

    NEW BOOK GIVEAWAY!! JV

  5. Tag Us
    Please email us or tag us on your event pages, photos from your actions, and any write-ups you do. We will use them in our advertising, photo album, and annual wrap-up report. @StopStHarassmnt on Instagram and Twitter.
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Next Week, Take the #Hollaback Challenge

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SelfCareCross-posted with permission from a Hollaback email:

“Harassment is ubiquitous. It can be the commuter getting into your space on the subway, the comment under the stranger’s breath as they walk past you on the street, and the too-long stare that makes you feel like someone’s watching you on your walk home.

Often, harassment leaves us questioning ourselves, asking “did that really happen?” or even wondering what we did wrong. You can feel uncomfortable, bugged, and “off,” but you push those feelings away to be able to function.

But what does it mean when harassment becomes normalized – and what happens to you? “

This International Anti-Street Harassment Week (April 10th-16th), join us in reclaiming the mental and physical space pushed aside by harassment with the #hollaback challenge: a week-long daily challenge of reflection, healing, and action. Join the #hollaback challenge today to re-center yourself and take control of your own narrative.

When you sign up, you’ll be entered into a daily draw for some serious HOLLA-Goodies, including tote bags, buttons, iron on #catsagainstcatcalls patches, and more. It’s a win-win-win. Stories and maps will be shared through our social media. And, of course, you can always choose to remain anonymous.”

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The Black Girl Movement: A National Conference

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BlackGirlMovementVia Girls for Gender Equity:

“In 2014 Girls for Gender Equity joined a planning committee of activists, scholars, and artists to plan “Black Girl Movement: A National Conference” a free, three-day public gathering at Columbia University in New York City that will focus on Black girls, cis, queer, and trans girls in the United States. Bringing together artists, activists, educators, policymakers, and black girls who are leaders themselves, this first national conference on Black girls seeks to address the disadvantages that Black girls in the United States face, while creating the political will to publicly acknowledge their achievements, contributions, and leadership.

‘The Black Girl Movement is more than a conference,’ says Girls for Gender Equity founder Joanne N. Smith. ‘It is an uprising, a declaration, a demand, and an affirmation. Black girls and women have been leading racial and gender justice movements for centuries, so our conference is a space for us to connect our multiple movement building goals and strategies as we continue to lead the way.'”

Joanne will moderate two panels on Friday, April 8th, Best Practices, Policy and Philanthropy and Sisters in Strength youth organizers will lead a School Pushout workshop and curate strategies for a Black Girls Bill of Rights. Registration is full so if you haven’t registered, you can watch April 8th via Livestream  https://livestream.com/accounts/557662   

Join GGE for the opening reception on April 7th! It begins with PICTURING BLACK GIRLHOOD EXHIBIT –At 5:00pm – The EXHIBIT is FREE, open to ALL and will display until Saturday.  Check out the event page.“

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“I got harassed by at least 15 different men”

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I am African, but my skin tone is very light. Men here are inclined to harass these type of women (light-skinned) because we are seen as being “more attractive, and more desirable” than a dark-skinned woman (grossly untrue, but it’s how our society is framed to think). Even though it happens to me often, March 4th was way worse than the other days.

I had gone to shop for  groceries, and I had to walk for about 20 minutes. I got harassed by at least 15 different men for that 20-minute walk! The harassment ranged from cat calls, my arms being stroked by strangers (very disgusting, I must say), men asking other men to stare at me… Others yelled across the streets asking if I could get pregnant. For those that felt really irked by me ignoring them, insults such as “stupid whore” were hurled at me. It was so mortifying, frustrating, and plain disgusting.

– KWA

Location: Nairobi, Kenya, along the streets

Share your street harassment story for the blog.
See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for more idea.

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